MILITARY: Bomb kills Camp Pendleton Marine

By Associated Press | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 7:08 PM PST ∞

BUELLTON ---- Aaron Allen and his childhood buddies had a special tattoo on their biceps: the Chinese symbol for "warrior."

And despite his mother's wishes, Allen, 24, had decided by 16 that he would join the Marines.

"I wanted nothing to do with it. There was no way I could talk him out of it," Cathy Allen said. "At one point when he was going overseas, I told him I had the right ---- since he was my only son ---- to stop this. He begged me not to. He said he had trained for this, he wanted to do it."

On Nov. 14, Cpl. Allen was killed by an improvised bomb in Faris, about 10 miles south of Fallujah, Iraq. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq. He had been scheduled to return to the United States in five weeks. When his enlistment ended in March, he planned to attend a fire academy, his relatives said.

The Buellton native joined the Marines in March 2004 and served with the security forces of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines.

"He was the most caring, loving person," said his sister Amy, 27. "He opened his house, his arms and his heart to everybody. He was my everything. He was my brother, he was my best friend, he was my dad. He was my little big brother."

He also was "probably the best dancer you've ever seen," she said.

She, her mother and Allen's girlfriend saw him off when he left Camp Pendleton to go overseas Oct. 5.

"I always told him, 'Remember, you are not invincible,' " she said.

Allen was a 2002 graduate of Santa Ynez Valley High School, where he was on the football, baseball and wrestling teams.

He sent orange tulips to his girlfriend, Kelly Zajac, and they arrived the day before he died. He called that night to talk to her.

Had she realized it was her last call, "there are millions of things I would have said," Zajac said.

Allen had planned to propose on her birthday in January.

Marine Brian Bull, a veteran of the Iraq war, said he had been confident his lifelong friend would return.

"I never had to worry much about him," Bull said. "He knew how to do his job. And he was good at it."

Allen is also survived by his father, Michael Allen of Highland, and his grandmother, Linda Fenton of Indio.

His friends have established the Aaron Allen YFL Scholarship Fund to help pay youth football registration fees for local children.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Former Marine wrote on Nov 19, 2008 7:06 AM:May God look over the family in their time of grief. Sorry for your loss.

Carlos wrote on Nov 19, 2008 8:53 AM:May God rest his soul !

And may our government bring back our boys... oh and girls back home soon !

Thank you Marine wrote on Nov 19, 2008 9:14 AM:Every day it breaks my heart to see and hear about another loss of an American over there. May this Marine's spirit live long within us. Thank you.
A Vietnam Vet Airborne troop gives thanks and ask all to remember who, why, what, when and where these sacrafices are given. Bless them.

Big Mike wrote on Nov 19, 2008 10:03 AM:Semper Fi Marine rest in peace! Prayers and well wishes for healing and peace to this young warriors family, be calm in knowing he chose his path and is a cut above the rest.

MarineGunner wrote on Nov 19, 2008 12:01 PM:Rest well brother! You have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Semper Fidelis!

TheGunny wrote on Nov 19, 2008 1:24 PM:Stand Easy, Marine. You are relieved on the watch.

Semper Fi Brother.

james wrote on Nov 19, 2008 3:47 PM:It takes amazing courage to enlist in the Marine Corps in the time of war. I hope his parents and family are proud of the strength of his conviction and the sacrifices he made so many people take for granted. May we all look to heaven and see this outstanding Marine guarding over us still today. Thank you for your service and dedication. Semper fidelis.

marc wrote on Nov 19, 2008 4:26 PM:He serverd his country w/ honor and respect. Thank you for fighting for our nation. RIP. My dad was a marine at Camp Pendelten and serverd in the Persian Gulf War and 3 duties in Operation Iraqui Freedom as a logistics officer. He is now retired. Semper Fi.

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